The Jacksonville shooter used to work at a dollar store and stopped in at one before a security guard's presence apparently led him to instead target the Dollar General down the road, where he killed three people, police say. He worked at a Dollar Tree from October 2021 to July 2022, Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters said at a news conference Monday, per the AP. And, the sheriff said, he stopped at a Family Dollar store Saturday before pulling into a parking lot at Edward Waters University, where he donned tactical gear. He left when security approached. The Dollar Tree and Family Dollar chains have the same owner. Dollar General is a separate company.
"Based off what we saw: him stopping off at the Family Dollar and working at a Dollar Tree previously and then him going to Dollar General, that was his intent the whole time," Waters said. "Why that store? Still hard to tell." In audio released Tuesday from a 911 call, the gunman's father said his son had stopped taking psychiatric medication and stayed in his room after dropping out of college and losing his job. Other records show the 21-year-old had encounters with police as a teenager, including one involving a suicide threat that led to an involuntary psychiatric evaluation. Waters has said a journal the gunman's father found in his room was "the diary of a madman" that made it clear he hated Black people.
Security footage from the Family Dollar shows him walking in and leaving a few minutes later with a small shopping bag. But after he reached his car, Waters said, a security guard pulled into the lot and the shooter left. Waters believes the guard's presence deterred him. It appeared the shooter wanted to take action at the Family Dollar, but he got tired of waiting, Waters said. Minutes later, the gunman made his way to the Dollar General in the predominantly Black New Town neighborhood and killed Angela Michelle Carr, 52, an Uber driver who was shot in her car; store employee A.J. Laguerre, 19, who was shot as he tried to flee; and customer Jerrald Gallion, 29, who was shot as he entered the store. The gunman then killed himself.
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